


Life in Anteiku

by Just_Codes



Category: Monsta X (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Tokyo Ghoul, Cannibalism, Family Fluff, Light Angst, Mild Gore, Swearing, but not really, only in the notes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-18
Updated: 2017-09-18
Packaged: 2018-12-30 14:57:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,233
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12111198
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Just_Codes/pseuds/Just_Codes
Summary: Anteiku is home to a family of ghouls. They are not blood related (and one is human), but they're family. Changkyun is learning his place within his newly found brood.





	Life in Anteiku

**Author's Note:**

  * For [cngkyns](https://archiveofourown.org/users/cngkyns/gifts).



Kihyun bid a group of customers goodbye and began wiping down the empty table with a damp cloth. He collected the various tea cups and plates on his serving tray, and took them back to the kitchen. The dishes were softly placed in the sink. On his way back to the front, Kihyun shuddered at the sound of crashing. All focus landed on Changkyun. At his feet lay broken cups and spilt coffee. His serving tray lay among the wreckage. The younger looked at the mess in awe before sending Kihyun a sheepish smile. Laughter bubbled from the entrance of the coffee shop. Kihyun closed his eyes in exasperation. Changkyun was hard enough to deal with, throw Jooheon into the equation and it was damn near impossible.

The blond waved enthusiastically at the waiting staff. Even his eyes were smiling. Changkyun felt a pang of guilt in his chest. He always did when seeing his hyung. Changkyun hated lying to Jooheon but it was for his own safety. Jooheon walked to the bar and took a seat. The other men greeted him before the youngest bent down and began collecting the pieces of broken ceramic. Kihyun himself cleaned the spilt liquid. Last time Changkyun hadn't cleaned it properly and Wonho slipped carrying a full tray. It was at that moment that Hoseok left the backroom. He prepared three cups of coffee and one slice of cake on his own tray. He left the cake and one of the cups on the bar, in front of Jooheon. Wonho then carefully stepped over Kihyun and took the coffees to Changkyun's waiting customers. Kihyun watched his elder wink and apologise for the wait. He brought two fingers to his temple. It was going to be a long day.

"I'm sorry, hyung. Thanks for your help." Changkyun stood and bowed to Kihyun, his hands still clutching loosely at the slivers of broken china.

He really appreciated Kihyun's help, especially after his initial week with Minhyuk as his trainer. Kihyun was strict but Minhyuk was devious. Changkyun recalled his first few shifts. Minhyuk gave him plenty of tips and tricks to make the job easier and the coffee taste better. It turned out that breathing on the coffee filters was really unhygienic and pouring coffee from shoulder height often resulted in painful burns. The older thought Kyun's naivety was hilarious and found great pleasure in taking advantage of the maknae. 

Kihyun huffed, but nodded his head. He patted the younger man's own head once and took the accident waiting to happen from his hands.

"How did you get a job here, but I can't? You're terrible." Jooheon complained, cramming a forkful of cake into his mouth.

Changkyun watched Kihyun leave through the backdoor and sighed. He took a seat next to his friend and rested his head in his hands. "I know, you don't have to remind me all the time."

"Hey, Hyungwon's here to cover. You can take your break now, Shownu wants to see you in the back." Wonho rested a hand on Changkyun's shoulder and addressed him with a soft smile.

Kyun nodded and stood. He told Jooheon he'd only be a second and walked towards the back room. As Wonho had said, Shownu and Kihyun were sat waiting for him. He felt nervous. Changkyun wasn't the best at making coffee, or serving coffee, or cleaning dishes, or- Changkyun couldn't really do any of the cafe jobs right, but he tried. He hoped Hyunwoo could see that. The owner smiled slightly at his arrival. Kihyun still looked annoyed. He was invited to sit across from them.

"I've decided you need an extended break today. We've had a lot of human's passing through. Make sure you get something to eat before going back out there." Shownu's tone was warm and caring.

Changkyun thanked his boss. He wasn't feeling particularly hungry, but knew it was best to take precautions, especially with Jooheon around. He opened the basement door and descended the dimly lit staircase. Minhyuk was waiting for him. He grinned at Changkyun and the younger knew he was in for trouble. The white haired male opened the refrigerator, revealing large chunks of meat. He began to search through them innocently.

"What will you be having today, Kukkung? Torso? Liver? We have a human heart if you want." Minhyuk said, holding the large pieces of flesh and organs up.

Changkyun grimaced. He was squeamish and Minhyuk knew that. He had thrown up the first time Hoseok took him to collect a body. Minhyuk laughed sadistically and brought a plate of raw and bloodied meat over to the table. It had been set for one. It appeared that Minhyuk did care deep down. He then left the basement, pushing a bottle of water into Kyun's grip as he passed by. I.M smiled. He was slowly breaking down Minhyuk's icy exterior. He took his seat at the table and sighed.

Changkyun didn't like the basement. It was clean and warm but it was too isolated. He couldn't feel the cosy atmosphere of Antikeu. Yet, he had decided his own actions. Jooheon had a bad habit of wandering around places he wasn't supposed to and Changkyun didn't want him walking in on him feeding. He took a deep breath, smelling the meat, and let his instincts take over.

Hyungwon carried used dishes to the bar effortlessly. Hoseok admired how graceful he looked whilst doing so, excusing the scowl on his face. Hyungwon was repeating the whole 'I used to be a feared gang leader' speech under his breath again. Alas, there he was following orders from teenager brats in a coffee shop. He unpacked his tray next to Jooheon and retrieved another black coffee from Hoseok. He didn't miss the gang circuit, not really. It was intense and there were always heavy losses on all sides. Life at Antikeu was peaceful. Hyungwon wiped away coffee stains, not tears. The air smelt like roasted beans, not fresh blood. Sure, there was the odd whiny customer or two, but Hyungwon's sharp tongue always put them in their place.

He, Minhyuk and Hoseok were working the floor. Kihyun and Changkyun were taking their breaks, Hyunwoo resided in the back somewhere. He was probably sleeping, again. The flow of customers was consistent. Both ghouls and humans walked through the door and ordered coffees. There was a settled peace over the shop floor. Humans conversed with ghouls politely, completely unaware of their high RC levels and hidden kakugan. Ghouls regarded humans with respect. They weren't food or prey in Antikeu, merely other cafe goers.

Hyunwoo silently watched the scenes from the kitchen doorway. It was everything he had hoped it would be. Shownu had once been a lonely man. He lost his entire family at the hands of CCG investigators at ten years old. He barely escaped with his own life and he had no one. He continued his life in solace. He spent years disguising himself from humans and avoiding other ghouls. For the longest time all he had wanted was a place where he could feel safe. He wanted to offer others that same safety, whether they be ghouls or humans. In his late teens, Hyunwoo stumbled upon a skinny and rough looking kid a little younger than himself. Hoseok wasn't in the best shape so Hyunwoo took him in and nursed him to health again. As the years went on, Shownu's big heart brought in more strays and runaways. Together they built the now popular coffee shop from a run down building and not much else.

Kihyun followed his boss out. As if following his train of thought, the man watched over the cafe with a small smile. Antikeu was home, the other staff were his brothers. Jooheon was like a little brother too, although Kihyun wouldn't openly admit it. 

Kihyun recalled the first time he had met the newest member of Anteiku. The strong scent of blood had distracted him. He tried everything in his power to not follow the scent, but he lost control to his instincts. Kihyun stumbled upon a broken and bloodied corpse. It was still warm, but the scent of the attacker was faint and distant. As the man knelt close to the corpse, fighting himself, a new scent arrived. Kihyun spun around instantly, his kakugan focusing on the approaching ghoul. He wasn't the original. Kihyun watched the man freeze. He then fell over himself in an attempt to stumble away. Kihyun groaned. He walked to the other man and offered him a hand.

"You're - you're a ghoul!" The brunette cried, flinching from Kihyun's outstretched fingers.

The raven haired male snickered, throwing his head back. "So are you dumbass!"

"No, I'm-oh my god."

Changkyun really was an idiot. An idiot that didn't realise he was a ghoul until he was 19 years old. (An idiot that even then kept his idiot human best friend around.) Kihyun had no choice but to drag the stunned man back to Anteiku after their initial meeting. The other five men struggled to understand his plight. How could you not know you were a ghoul? The man ate human flesh to survive. Changkyun had always thought his parents were just avid meat eaters. He assumed their intense diet left him sickly to other foods. Wonho held Minhyuk back from attacking the young male after his explanation. Was it really possible for someone to be so oblivious? Shownu offered a confused I.M a job that same night. Changkyun deserved to understand himself as a ghoul. Anteiku could help him do so without having to turn his back on his human nature.

What the elders did not know was that Changkyun came in a pair. Humans were a normal occurrence at Anteiku, their presence was nether frowned upon nor celebrated. One human stuck out to the staff though. His blond hair and bright smile lightened up the room as he bounded through the door one day. Kihyun showed him to a seat and brought over a menu. He ordered a coffee and a cake with a dimpled grin. The waiter glared at the human. He didn't trust them, especially when they grinned like maniacs. Changkyun took over the order after an instruction from his hyung. Kihyun didn't like the creepy kid. Kyun carried over the coffee he had prepared and cake he had personally sliced, with great care. Just as he was about to congratulate himself on his first successful delivery, his eyes met those of the customer.

"Jooheony?!" Changkyun gasped, dropping his tray.

Minhyuk was servicing a table close by and watched the scene unfold. He excused himself politely before pacing to the newbie. His slender hands wrapped around Changkyun's neck tightly as he shook him a few times. When he finished, he apologised to Jooeon, picked up the fallen tray and went to collect the replacements. Jooheon stared in awe.

"Are all your hyungs like that?"

"What? No, just Minhyuk hyung and Kihyun hyung occasionally." Changkyun stroked his sore throat, leaning against Jooheon's table with a sigh.

 

Jooheon was happier about Changkyun's job than Changkyun was. He gushed in length about how cool the staff looked and how nice the uniforms were and how good the coffee was. He was a literal ball of energy. Changkyun was exhausted by his best friend's visits. He was also extremely nervous for Jooheon's safety. He had been avoiding the man since his realisation that he was a ghoul. You often heard about ghoul attacks on the news and the media spread panic throughout humans. Changkyun feared rejection if he told Jooheon truth. He had been his best friend for over ten years, Kyun couldn't lose him. It also opened Jooheon up to danger. If Changkyun ever lost control he could hurt Jooheon, his ghoul acquaintances could hurt him, the ghoul customers could hurt him. Changkyun's head swam.

Jooheon had a strange admiration for ghouls. For as long as Changkyun could remember he gushed about how cool they were. He always claimed not to be scared of the media hyped ghoul attacks, but Jooheon was literally scared of his own shadow. Changkyun loved his innocent best friend. He also knew him well enough to place his bets on Jooheon passing out if he ever learnt the truth about Anteiku. Changkyun was pretty certain his hyung wouldn't contact an investigating squad, still his wavering self-confidence left him worried. 

He decided not to tell Jooheon for a while longer. The man was still coming to terms with his ghoul identity himself. He looked around the empty cafe. The other Anteiku members were cleaning up for the evening. Jooheon was helping (interfering really). A fondness grew in his heart. Changkyun was a part of something. It wasn't big or flashy, but it was special nonetheless. He had brothers that loved him. Hoseok taught him to fight and protect himself. Hyungwon told him stories about his past and acceptance. Minhyuk picked on him relentlessly, but with purity in his eyes. Kihyun was nagging and caring, like a second mother. Jooheon was a Tasmanian devil made of light that brought him joy. Hyunwoo was the glue that brought them all together and kept them solid. Changkyun smiled just before something hit him in the head.

"Don't you dare think about slacking off. You broke another two cups this week!"

**Author's Note:**

> I was really excited to see a TG request so had to try my hand at it. This didn't really go as I expected, but I hope you enjoyed it. 
> 
> Here is an insight into my character planning (including original character basis and mask personas) just as a little extra :)
> 
> Minhyuk - Nishiki (puppy)
> 
> -intimidating af
> 
> -would happily splice your throat
> 
> -like to pick on the baby
> 
> -was kyun's initial trainer but taught him to pour coffee from shoulder height so kihyun took over
> 
> -so many pranks
> 
> -snickers but denies it
> 
> -begrudgingly treats kyun better after many many store meetings
> 
> -tsundere
> 
> -always the first to patch up injuries (even though he causes them)
> 
> -strangles kyun when he gets things wrong
> 
> -strangles jooheon when he wont leave
> 
> -wonho and kihyun are betting on his choking kink
> 
>  
> 
> Shownu- yoshimura (bear)
> 
> -slowly banded members together through the years
> 
> -lost his family in a CCG attack when he was ten and was alone until Antieku
> 
> -V quiet and loving
> 
> -Wants humans and ghouls to live in peace (anitkeu meaning peaceful zone)
> 
> -Thinks Jooheon is the cutest (discreet)
> 
> -Nods his head whenever Kihyun roasts him bc the man has a point and is loud
> 
> -Sleeps in the back a lot
> 
> -Hyung, do we have more coffee beans downstairs?
> 
> *pan to Shownu sleeping on the couch sat up right*
> 
> -I wasn't asleep!
> 
> -Literal old man
> 
>  
> 
> Kyun - Kaneki (wolf)
> 
> -baby of the group
> 
> -'kyun clean this table'
> 
> 'that's your duty'
> 
> 'don't you dare disrespect your hyung/s'
> 
> -didn't know he was a ghoul
> 
> -his parents were never explicit so he never really connected the dots
> 
> -until he found kihyun hunting one night and shit one
> 
> -and kihyun's like 'you're a ghoul too dumbass'
> 
> -suddenly everything makes sense
> 
> -the literal reason jooheon smells sooo good
> 
> -'how did you not eat him?'
> 
> 'i just thought it was like gay tendencies'
> 
> -tries so hard at the shop
> 
> -is still terrible
> 
> -falls for all minhyuk's pranks
> 
> -burns himself five times a day
> 
>  
> 
> Wonho - Yomo (bunny)
> 
> -fucking gym rat
> 
> -also the softest
> 
> -trains his brothers to be strong and protect themselves
> 
> -does all the mule work without complaint
> 
> -communicates in smiles
> 
> -loyal af
> 
> -would die for the squad
> 
> -'I'll save you, run'
> 
> 'hoseok, it's a bug you don't have to. I'm fine' 
> 
> -flirts with all the patrons
> 
> -sometimes undoes his first buttons mid-shift
> 
> -kihyun hits him with his serving tray
> 
>  
> 
> Jooheon - Hide (bee)
> 
> -literal sunshine
> 
> -kyun are you okay? your eyes have gone red
> 
> -so fucking oblivious
> 
> -ghouls are cool squad
> 
> -also shit scared but 'lowkey'
> 
> -kyun's best friend since his return to korea bc the other kids didn't like his low voice
> 
> -what personal space
> 
> -so jealous of Changkyun's new friends bc 'best friends share everything, including new friends'
> 
> -always at the shop
> 
> -doesn't understand why Shownu won't hire him
> 
> 'I have more qualifications than Kyun, look he's just spilt coffee again!'
> 
>  
> 
> Kihyun - Tokua (hamster)
> 
> -hot and cold
> 
> -so done with your shit
> 
> -if kyun breaks another plate, will break his spine
> 
> -also so thankful for this younger brothers (and older)
> 
> -perfect at everything coffee shop
> 
> -always tries to impress to a fault
> 
> -lowkey hates humans
> 
> -like gross af so won't eat them alive
> 
> -roasts EVERYONE
> 
> -snide remarks about rude customers
> 
>  
> 
> Hyungwon - Irimi(frog)
> 
> -fashionable af
> 
> -shady af
> 
> -rly chill
> 
> -protective older brother but lowkey
> 
> -elegant af
> 
> -past gang leader (vicious af)
> 
> -could not be tamed until Shownu was like 'bro, calm down' 
> 
> -serves two customers then rests with his own coffee


End file.
